Pan Borneo Highway to remain toll-free

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Baru Bian

KOTA KINABALU: The Pan Borneo Highway will remain toll-free, assured Works Minister Baru Bian.

“Let me tell you very clearly from the beginning there is no intention for the PH (Pakatan Harapan) government that the Pan Borneo Highway should be tolled. This is one of our promises about the Pan Borneo Highway,” said Baru during a press conference here yesterday.

“I want to give assurance for us in Sabah and Sarawak that there will be no toll for Pan Borneo Highway,” he stressed when asked about Parti Bersatu Sabah’s (PBS) claim that the current federal government had made a u-turn on its toll-free highway manifesto promise.

PBS secretary-general Johnny Mositun said Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s admission that Pakatan Harapan (PH) made the promises in the manifesto thinking that it could not win the election, and hence were aimed only at putting pressure on the Barisan Nasional (BN) government at the time, meant the coalition was unethical in its conduct.

He emphasized that the statement made by the Prime Minister referred to the tolls for the Peninsular highways and the matter had been confirmed in Parliament.

“When we took over as the central government, we understand and found out that the national financial situation is very negative. We have said that we will wait for the financial situation of this country to be stabilized or come to healthy level,” he added.